Developing solutions for Personal Care Budgets

The request was successful.

Andrew Greenhalgh

Dear Barking & Dagenham Borough Council,

We are continuing to consult with Local Authorities across the UK in readiness for the next development stage of the popular BeMyCareBroker.com site - which delivers bespoke care solutions to service users, businesses and local & health authorities across the UK.

We'd be grateful if the lead of each department listed below could share their views on the changes to Social Care and how they are impacting on your Adult Social Services, Commissioning, Procurement and Finance departments.

Please find our questions below.

Yours faithfully,
Andrew Greenhalgh

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. What is your role within the Adult Social Services, Procurement, Commissioning or Finance department?

2. How has the introduction of Individual Care Budgets (Personalisation) affected you/your role?

3. What were your initial thoughts about the changes to our Social Care system?

4. Have those opinions been altered or reinforced since that time and if so, how?

5. Describe how you now see your role in supporting the wider care community in your region.

6. What tools or facilities do you feel are crucial to have access to, to achieve this?

7. Should local authorities be less or more involved in assisting Service Users in finding and acquiring the care and support they need, how so and why?

8. Should local authorities be less or more involved in supporting carers, how so and why?

9. What information would you like to have regular access to, to fulfil your role or responsibilities and in what format(s)?

10. How could an online solution (Website) to Personalisation best serve you in your role?

11. How could an online solution to Personalisation best serve your local authority?

12. How could an off-line solution (EG. Telephone help line, drop-in centre etc.) to Personalisation best serve you in your role?

13. How could an off-line solution to Personalisation best serve your local authority?

14. What perceptions do you have about “Care Brokerage” and companies providing this service?

15. Is/has your local authority been involved in a Personalisation pilot scheme, and if so which solution did you/are you piloting?

16. When did/does the pilot begin/finish?

17. Is/was this a free pilot scheme and if not, how much did you pay?

18. Are you using or considering using a third party to implement a solution to self-directed support?
a. Yes (Go to question 19)
b. No (Go to question 22)

19. Which third party solution are you using?

20. What do you like and dislike about this solution?

21. Have you entered into an annual contract with this supplier?

22. What systems and processes have you introduced/adapted to deliver self-directed support?

23. What further changes, if any, are required to complete your transition to self-directed support?

24. If savings were to be made across any number of Social Services teams/departments within your local authority, which teams/departments would take priority?

25. In your opinion, who should pay to provide online support services to service users?
a. The Service User (Independently)
b. The Service User (Out of their approved individual care budget)
c. Local Authorities, and if so which department(s)?
d. Care providers (As commission on product sales / placement fees)
e. Other (please specify)

26. In your opinion, who should pay to provide care and support services to carers?
a. The Service User (Independently)
b. The Service User (Out of their approved individual care budget)
c. Local Authorities, and if so which department(s)?
d. Care providers (As commission on product sales / placement fees)
e. Other (please specify)

27. What, in your opinion, would be the perfect outcome to the Personalisation agenda?

28. Please list your top 3 priorities when considering your ideal solution to Individual Care Budgets
1.
2.
3.

29. What is your level of budget responsibility (Circle all that apply)?
a. I source and/or recommend suitable products services
b. I make purchases within a set budget
c. I set/agree the budget
d. I sign off the budget

30. Could you please tell us what percentage of Service Users in your district are self-funding, broken down by care type (MH, LD, PD, Older People)

Fenn Michael, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council

Dear Andrew Greenhalgh

Request for information LBBD:53888

Your request for information about changes to Social Care and how they are
impacting on the Adult Social Services, Commissioning, Procurement and
Finance departments. has now been considered.

Unfortunately I am unable to provide the information because you are
asking for our personal/professional views and is more of a research
questionnaire than a Freedom of Information Request.

I am sorry that I cannot assist you but if I can be of any further help
please contact me.

If you are not satisfied with the way that I have dealt with your request
you can make a complaint by writing to the Corporate Complaints & FOI
Team, Room 104, Town Hall, 1 Town Square, Barking IG11 7LU. Alternatively
you can make your complaint on-line at [1]www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk or
you can e-mail your complaint to [2][Barking and Dagenham Borough Council request email].

If you are still not satisfied, after following our Corporate Complaints
procedure, you can take your complaint to the Information Commissioner.
Full details of how to do this will be made available on request.

Yours sincerely

Michael Fenn | Complaints & Information Officer

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham | Room 218 Barking Town
Hall | Barking, Essex | IG11 7LU

Phone: 020 8227 2619 | Fax: 020 8227 2324

Email: Michael.Fenn[3]@lbbd.gov.uk | [4]www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk

Working together for a better borough that is safe, clean, fair and
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Andrew Greenhalgh

Dear Fenn Michael,

We have clarified our questions (below> I trust this helps you to answer them.

Yours sincerely,
Andrew Greenhalgh

1. What is your role within the Adult Social Services, Procurement,
Commissioning or Finance department?



2. What recorded changes to the roles of members of Adult Social Services, Procurement, Commissioning and Finance departments have been due to the introduction of Individual Care Budgets
(Personalisation)?

3. What reports were submitted by your local authority on the changes to our Social
Care system and how they may impact your area?



4. Have those reports been altered or reinforced since that time
and if so, how?



5. What is your local authorities official role now in supporting the wider care
community in your region and has this been published as a mission statement or statement of intent?

6. What tools or facilities has your local authority identified as being crucial in achieving the above?



7. Has your local authority decided to become less or more involved in assisting
Service Users in finding and acquiring the care and support they
need, how so and why?

8. Has your local authority decided to be less or more involved in supporting
carers, how so and why?



9. What information do Adult Social Services regularly access to
fulfil their role / responsibilities and in what format(s)?



10. Is/has your local authority been involved in a Personalisation
pilot scheme, and if so which solution did you/are you piloting?



11. When did/does the pilot begin/finish?



12. Is/was this a free pilot scheme and if not, how much did you
pay?



13. Are you using or considering using a third party to implement a
solution to self-directed support?

a. Yes (Go to question 14)
b. No (Go to question 17)



14. Which third party solution was the contract awarded to?



15. What flaws and strengths have been recorded about this solution?


16. Have you entered into an annual contract with this supplier?



17. What systems and processes have you introduced/adapted to
deliver self-directed support?



18. What further changes, if any, are required to complete your
transition to self-directed support?



19. If savings are being made across any number of Social Services
teams/departments within your local authority, which
teams/departments are they?



20. What agreed outcomes have been set by your local authority in respect to the
Personalisation agenda?
Have these goals been published?


21. What percentage of Service Users in
your district are self-funding, broken down by care type (MH, LD,
PD, Older People)

Ryan Janet, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council

Dear Andrew Greenhalgh

Freedom of Information Request LBBD/53888

Your request has been considered and the information is set out below.

1. What is your role within the Adult Social Services,

Divisional Directors

2. What recorded changes to the roles of members of Adult Social
Services, Procurement, Commissioning and Finance departments have been due
to the introduction of Individual Care Budgets(Personalisation)?

On the introduction of Personalisation we have reorganised our
Social Care Teams and Commissiong and Procurement Functions.

3. What reports were submitted by your local authority on the changes
to our Social Care system and how they may impact your area?

We are not sure what is being asked for here, so therefore
cannot comment.

4. Have those reports been altered or reinforced since that time and
if so, how?
Many reports have gone to various boards, committees and partners on
Personalisation. Changes have been made through lessons learnt and
consultations.

5. What is your local authorities official role now in supporting the
wider care community in your region and has this been published as a
mission statement or statement of intent?

No Mission statement or statement of intent has
been issued. Adult social care is still as stutory duty and we are fully
committed to delivery of services through Personalisation where possible.

6. What tools or facilities has your local authority identified as
being crucial in achieving the above?

We were an early adopter of RAS we developed out
first one in house, FACS tool is used for assessments.

7. Has your local authority decided to become less or more involved
in assisting Service Users in finding and acquiring the care and support
they need, how so and why?

We are actively helping to build the local market place and have a variety
of options for Brokerage. We have developed an information resource on
line "helping you live the life you want" - on the main Council website.

8. Has your local authority decided to be less or more involved in
supporting carers, how so and why?

We continue to work closely and support a range of
third sector carer organisations. A new carers strategy for the borough
was launched last year, again on the public website.

9. What information do Adult Social Services regularly access to
fulfil their role / responsibilities and in what format(s)?

Statutory indicators, local standards and user
feedback/surveys.

10. Is/has your local authority been involved in a Personalisation pilot
scheme, and if so which solution did you/are you piloting?

Yes as stated earlier, we were part of the
national pilot scheme on RAS development

11. When did/does the pilot begin/finish?

It ran for the 1^st year of personalisation

12. Is/was this a free pilot scheme and if not, how much did you pay?

Free, we developed in house

13. Are you using or considering using a third party to implement a
solution to self-directed support?

No

a. Yes (Go to question 14)

b. No (Go to question 17)

14. Which third party solution was the contract awarded to?

15. What flaws and strengths have been recorded about this solution?

16. Have you entered into an annual contract with this supplier?

17. What systems and processes have you introduced/adapted to deliver
self-directed support?

Reorganised teams, introduced RAS, Brokerage and
FACE tools, updated Social Care IT systems.

18. What further changes, if any, are required to complete your
transition to self-directed support?

Complete re-organisation and introduction of new
tools.

19. If savings are being made across any number of Social Service
teams/departments within your local authority, which teams/departments are
they?

Adult social care structure has been completely
reorganised and some savings were identified.

20. What agreed outcomes have been set by your local authority in
respect to the Personalisation agenda? Have these goals been published?

We set ourselves a 40% target locally for people to be receiving personal
budgets by March 2011, we actually achieved 41% . They have not been
published yet as the statutory returns have yet to be finalised by the
DoH.

If you are not satisfied with the way that I have dealt with your request
you can make a complaint by writing to the Corporate Complaints Team, Room
104, Town Hall, 1 Town Square, Barking IG11 7HE Alternatively you can
make your complaint on-line at [1]www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk or you can
e-mail your complaint to [2][email address].

If you are still not satisfied, after following our Corporate Complaints
procedure, you can take your complaint to the Information Commissioner.
Full details of how to do this will be made available on request.

Janet Ryan

Complaints and Information Manager

Barking Town Hall

IG11 7LU

020 8227 3636

.

E-mail confidentiality notice. This message is intended for the addressees
only. It may be private, confidential and may be covered by legal
professional privilege or other confidentiality requirements. If you are
not one of the intended recipients, please notify the sender immediately
on +44 0 20-8215-3000 and delete the message from all locations in your
computer network. Do not copy this email or use it for any purpose or
disclose its contents to any person:to do so maybe unlawful.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/
http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]